Gainsboro

#e4e2e1

Hex, rgb, cmyk and Pantone values for gainsboro, with shades, tints, matching colors and free print quality patterns.

Gainsboro carries almost no chroma, so it works as a neutral. Pale neutrals like this make dependable backgrounds and paper stocks. It works under any accent color, holding a scheme together without competing.

Gainsboro color values

Every conversion for #e4e2e1, ready to copy. Hex, rgb, hsl, hsv, cmyk, cie-lab, xyz, decimal, web safe and the nearest Pantone.

Hex#e4e2e1
RGB228, 226, 225
HSL20, 5%, 89%
HSV20, 1%, 89%
CMYK0%, 1%, 1%, 11%
Lab90.01, 0.5, 0.72
XYZ72.78, 76.32, 82.13
Decimal15000289
Web safe#cccccc
Pantone649 C
Pantone649 CHex#e4e2e1Rgb228 226 225Cmyk0 1 1 11Lab90 1 1Darker#a09996Deep#c2bebbLighter#f0efef

Shades of gainsboro

Tints of gainsboro

Colors that go with gainsboro

Gainsboro in print

In print it lays down as a whisper of ink, so keep it off small text where it can vanish. The cmyk build is 0, 1, 1, 11.

The same color needs a different cmyk build depending on the paper. Here is #e4e2e1 on both.

Coated stockgloss or silk, C
0 1 1 11
Ink sits on the surface, so colors stay bright and close to screen.
Uncoated stocknatural or matte, U
4 5 5 17
The stock absorbs ink and gains dot, so it needs a heavier build and reads a touch softer.

This color converts to cmyk comfortably and should hold on press.

See how it converts in the rgb to cmyk converter, or readrgb vs cmyk for print andwhat the k in cmyk means.

Gainsboro in css

Copy #e4e2e1 straight into your stylesheet.

.background { background-color: #e4e2e1; }
.text { color: #e4e2e1; }
.border { border: 2px solid #e4e2e1; }

How gainsboro looks on light and dark

Gainsboro and accessibility

Contrast ratios for #e4e2e1 against black and white text, measured to the WCAG standard.

Textwhite text on this color
1.29:1
AAfail · AA largefail · AAAfail
Textblack text on this color
16.26:1
AApass · AA largepass · AAApass

Use black text on this color for readable body copy. To test #e4e2e1 against any other color, not just black and white, run the pair through ourcontrast checker for a live WCAG reading.

Gainsboro on a business card, sticker and pattern

A quick look at how #e4e2e1 sits on real print products. Start any of these in the maker.

Your nameFounderhello@brand.comBusiness card
Sticker
Repeat pattern

Building a full palette around gainsboro? Pull matching colors from any photo with thecolor palette generator, or check a design for print with thergb to cmyk converter.

Turn gainsboro into a seamless pattern

Four patterns built from #e4e2e1 and its shades, free at print quality. Click any one to keep editing in the pattern maker.

Make posters, wallpaper and packaging art from gainsboro, free and print ready.

Open in pattern maker

How we calculate these values

The figures for #e4e2e1 come from standard color math, shown so you can check them. We convert from sRGB to each space with the standard formulas, so the codes match what design tools show. The uncoated cmyk build carries more ink than the coated one, which is what a printer would compensate for when the same color runs on a rougher stock. The Pantone figure is the nearest match in our reference set by perceptual distance and it is an approximation, not an exact spot color.